The Rise of the Golden Idol is the direct sequel to Color Grey Games' remarkable investigative video game, a title capable of evolving every situation and mechanic encountered in its predecessor. After ensuring that the writing maintained a very high standard, the developers have enhanced almost every aspect of the point-and-click gameplay, offering an impressive variety of situations and making the solution to each investigation feel like a hard-won victory. While the artistic and sound elements have also evolved toward excellence, the slightly weaker characterization and overall impact of the narrative have kept it just a few steps away from masterpiece status.

Frontier improves its theme park simulator to make it one of the most fun around.

Death Note Killer Within is a social deduction game that tries to bring the compelling confrontation between Kira and L in competitive matches that certainly have multiple facets and undoubted strategic potential. Unfortunately, on a technical and artistic level the game is pretty ugly and has so many critical issues even in terms of interface that you'll really have to be a fan of the genre to appreciate it.

Ys X: Nordics offers a fantasy world to explore, and several original ideas.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is a fresh and fast way to dive into the world of Pokémon collectible cards. On one hand, it simplifies and speeds up battles, sacrificing some strategy; on the other, it highlights the collectible aspect and the beauty of the illustrations, which have recently enhanced the latest paper expansions. The result is a game best enjoyed in small doses, to avoid getting too caught up in the numerous, albeit not overwhelming, microtransactions. It will be interesting to see how Pocket and Live evolve in the coming months, but for now, it’s an enjoyable digression from the original experience.

With its original game systems, Metal Slugs Tactics works very well and is the Metal Slug that you don't expect.

The Smurfs return with a highly polished and fun 3D platformer, suitable for adults and children.

After more than a decade, the generation-defining classic Red Dead Redemption arrives on PC, but the landing is not the nice one you'd expect after such a long time. It brings new life to the pictorial world created by Rockstar Games, but an incoherent stability and the price wall makes it hard to justify the purchase.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Out of nowhere a small ant comes and overturns the entire gaming industry, showing that knowing one's limit and enduring in creating something unique and true to its nature can be much more rewarding than following the law of the market. Empire of the Ants is a feast for the senses and arguably one of the best games of the year. A masterclass on how to bring videogames to the next level.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership is an excellent entry in the RPG franchise. It's beautifully crafted, colorful and lively, but also fun and carefully balanced around an interactive combat system.

Slitterhead is a significant waste. Many of the concepts underlying the game are brilliant and demonstrate how Toyama remains a creative mind capable of experimenting and crafting unconventional titles. However, it's evident that, deprived of the resources he once had and forced to start anew with a fresh team, he has not been able to adequately bring his initial vision to life. In our opinion, Bokeh Game Studio's debut work is still passable thanks to its originality and some well-executed aspects, but it’s a pity it amounts to nothing more than that.

While We Wait Here creates a diner-sized limbo that is intriguing, unsettling, and that we would very much have liked to appreciate all the way through, but which left us somewhat disappointed by a narrative component that was more predictable than we expected.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Treyarch had a full four years to develop its new Call of Duty, and, with no surprise, it's the best in recent years. The studio had time to refine a movement system that will likely redefine the series' standards going forward. They've paired a fast-paced, fun multiplayer with an outstanding campaign, and Zombie is as close to the golden days of Black Ops as it gets. And yet, it's available with a Game Pass subscription. For us, that's a pretty good deal.

Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms is a well thought out mix of retro graphics and narrative with modern isometric and souls like combat, something veterans of Baldur's Gate will love.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered pushes the concept of a remaster to the limit to deliver us the best possible version of the adventure developed by Guerrilla Games. Powered by the technologies of the spectacular sequel, Forbidden West, the game is substantially enriched visually, in atmosphere and even in narrative, confirming itself still as an extremely solid, enjoyable and engaging action RPG.

Arsene Lupin - Once a Thief is a product not too far from Blazing Griffin's investigative predecessors, only smaller and more simplified. While it will not displease superfans of Blazing Griffin's works, it will struggle to impress even the die-hards and will leave those who were already not too impressed with Poirot's adventures totally indifferent.

Which way is Starfield heading? So far, it’s stayed put, and for the hardcore fans maybe that’s good enough, at least this time around…

Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is the revised and corrected version for current generation consoles, with 4K and 60 FPS.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure follows Max's adventures, ten years after the first chapter, in an incredibly compelling narrative.

BioWare's new epic is an enormous, layered, sprawling, often overwhelming mix of various elements that desperately tries to offer a wealth of content, aiming to appeal to every RPG lover, yet in doing so, fails to truly excel in any particular area. We want one thing to be clear, though: in the end, the experience is enjoyable, definitely exceeding the expectations we had formed from months of announcements and trailers, but there's really nothing that can captivate the player and elevate the game to the level of the genre's heavyweights. And that's a real shame, because the dedication of the development team shines through in many aspects, like the structural depth, level design, ensemble dialogues, and even a combat system that, ultimately, is fun — but not quite enough. More than ever, this was a case where it would have been better to cut back, trim down, and streamline further, to offer a more focused and well-defined experience.

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven is undoubtedly one of the strangest and most fascinating unknown JRPGs of its era. The non-linear narrative keeps it fresh, while the other aspects are absolutely average. What unfortunately doesn't help is the plethora of flat characters that the title offers. Still, there's plenty to play, discover, explore, and we can't help but recommend this remake to anyone looking for a little piece of hidden history in the genre, those exponents you didn't know existed but who, in their own way, still have some nice ideas to convey.

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered reintroduces a cult game in pure Suda51 style, with its merits and flaws. The remastering work appears a bit listless, sometimes uncertain but above all lacking in attention that aims to file down the many edges of the original game, which was already a bit rough and has obviously not improved with time.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a good horror game focused on a single idea, repeated throughout the entire game.

A mobile adaptation of Age of Empires by Tencent can give rise to several doubts right from the announcement, and the prejudices in this case are totally justified by the practical act: Age of Empires Mobile has nothing to do with the series it comes from stretch, limiting itself to using the illustrious title to stage yet another mobile pseudo-RTS with little depth and many micro-transactions.

Yakuza Kiwami is still a very good game and it is clear that the debut of the SEGA series on Nintendo Switch is great news, especially with the next model of the console on the horizon. On a narrative and artistic level, Kazuma Kiryu's story doesn't feel the weight of its years and remains remarkably engaging, also with so many activities and mini-games to support it.

Sumerian Six is a good real-time tactical stealth adventure which deserves more love.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream is the first completely online title in the series, with games for up to 20 players, and it works quite well.

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection on current-generation consoles is a remaster, a solid restoration effort that brings the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione to 4K and 60 FPS, along with a series of improvements strictly focused on the technical and graphical aspects, never touching the gameplay. However, it might be the gameplay itself that could use a real update, similar to what we’ve seen in recent years with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. In the meantime, though, all fans of J.K. Rowling’s books – but especially of the films – can enjoy this super complete package full of Danish bricks and magic, at a fair price (and with a discount for previous version owners).

The Axis Unseen is an alternative hunting game that makes the player both hunter and prey, with a palpable tension throughout. With simple gameplay, marred by some framerate issues and slight bugs, it will surely captivate gamers that can't resist being chased by monsters with a fantastic metal soundtrack.

Quotation forthcoming.

Fear the Spotlight offers horror movie and video game enthusiasts a pleasant (perhaps too much, considering we’re talking about horror) five-hour experience spent in a simple story that cleverly reinterprets classic tropes with some interesting visual ideas and excellent progression. The aesthetics are a perfect balance between the nostalgia of PlayStation-era titles and modern rendering. Its underlying romanticism, along with combat dynamics that are not quite on point, prevent it from being truly scary. However, it still manages to touch on unsettling themes and disturb with some well-crafted imagery.

The remaster of an already excellent title, now enriched with new content and a stand alone mode for Shadow.

Unknown 9: Awakening is a work that lives within the contradictions between AAA video game ambitions and ideas, and an execution that falls below contemporary standards: while Reflector Entertainment has focused everything on telling the story of Haroona (Anya Chalotra) and building the universe of the Nine Unknown, the technical execution has ended up becoming an insurmountable obstacle.

Vessel of Hatred does what it was supposed to do: it expands Diablo IV with new content that should keep fans entertained and happy for at least a few weeks, although much of this content is not really different from the free seasonal updates. The new endgame loop is immersive, the all new Spiritborne class is fantastic, but the story barely moved forward and the expansion doesn't feel revolutionary as much as Reaper of Souls was to Diablo III.

Starship Troopers: Extermination is the best way to kill giant alien insects online.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is among the best chapters in the series. The many alternative modes, the unknown represented by the ally who can overturn the course of a game, make this game extremely lively and fun both with friends and alone, thanks also to the modes that can be played online.

Quotation forthcoming.

It is not easy to find a game as genuine and self aware as the small gem that CINIC Games managed to create with Extra Coin. It is far from being perfect, but at times staying true to your nature and managing to not overdue in an industry that almost forces you to do so is a quality that is way more rewarding.

Riding through Neva's landscapes is a balm for the heart. Its pastel-toned world, decadent and melancholic, the bursts of color, and then the darkness to face with a sword—just like in Princess Mononoke—offer an audiovisual experience with few equals. Through the bond between Alba and Neva, the new game from Nomada Studio tells a story of friendship and parenthood, drawing inspiration from the poetic universes of Fumito Ueda. It’s a short experience, and perhaps still too simple, but it leaves a mark thanks to its boundless artistic value.

Europa is Journey with Studio Ghibli style. It offers a nice, sweet and simple tale with smooth and accessible gameplay. It will appeal to fans of the genre, although it struggles to tell something personal considering how much it relies on its sources of inspiration.

Predator: Hunting Grounds is back, with notable improvements to the graphic-technical sector.

Undisputed brings boxing back to videogames with a passion that’s evident in every detail. Created by true fans of the sport, the game features a large roster of fighters and a refined combat system. Visually and technically it’s solid. However, some technical glitches and balance issues hold it back slightly. Still, it remains a highly recommended title for boxing enthusiasts.

Quotation forthcoming.

Dragon Ball: Sparking was worth waiting all this time for! Zero, we have no doubts about it. The video game signed once again by Spike Chunsoft is perhaps not perfect on a visual level nor does it solve the well-known limitations of the arena fighter genre, but it optimizes and supports the system enough to ensure that the frenetic and spectacular fights between the many characters that make up the game's roster take place in a pleasant and satisfying way, in a triumph of fanservice that will not fail to excite the many Dragon Ball fans. The package is a real concentrate of content, also destined to grow thanks to the players (see the custom battles), and in this successful mix the excellent work done with the alternative stories of the Sparking Episodes stands out, capable of adding freshness and interest to a narrative path that we now know all too well.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a very, very good Persona-like RPG imprisoned in an outdated shell.

Until Dawn for PS5 is still the excellent original game, but the remake operation is not worth the price. The frame rate is to be improved, the graphical jump is good but not huge, and the new camera takes away from the original directorial feel of the video game and turns it into just another action video game.

Silent Hill 2 is still that video game capable of disturbing and captivating every kind of person, thanks to its moral ambiguities, tragic love story, and exploration of the depths of the human soul. Bloober Team has managed to craft a work that remains faithful to the original, expanding and layering the experience, offering a modern take on the myth while drawing from the same sources of inspiration that guided Team Silent twenty years ago. The ancient, sensual, dark magic that permeated James Sunderland’s journey through hell is still powerful. From here, if Konami has the courage to keep its promise, the series can be reborn.

Shadows of Doubt is an amazing game, but with too much untapped potential, too many issues and unpredictable outcomes. Let’s hope it keeps getting developed, enriched, and perfected. It deserves it.

Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is the result of a controversial operation: on the one hand, the dutiful recovery of a completely crazy action game, figment of the imagination of two visionary directors such as Suda and Gunn; on the other hand, a questionable remaster which does not improve except very marginally the many edges of the original game and arrives on PC with zero options, many glitches and disappointing performances.

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a fun game, but not enough to overlook both its game design flaws and the fact that it has no real reason to exist. Its poorly written dialogue, non-existent story, and characters with endlessly repeated lines often put a spoke in the wheels of the otherwise fun gameplay based on bugs, robots, and other giant enemies to kill. The experience, however, is in no way different from that of the previous chapter and seems designed only for die-hard fans of Earth Defense Force since it adds very little beyond a few new enemies and the characters from the sixth chapter. Those who do not know or appreciate the series, then, are surrounded by video games that offer the same type of entertainment at a low level of difficulty but with much greater longevity and depth. Only the most devoted fans of the series will know how to have fun in the company of this game because it is designed almost exclusively for them.

Giving a judgment on the PC version of Final Fantasy XVI is complicated: on one hand, we confirm the impressions provided in the review of the PlayStation 5 version, but on the other hand, one cannot ignore a conversion that (at least until the release of patches) does not convince due to the excessive hardware requirements.

Jetpack Interactive returns to the scene with a porting of God of War Ragnarok that can enhance Santa Monica's title even more, if possible. The epic of Kratos and Atreus in desktop version improves the quality of the original production and, without overturning the technical layout, boosts the game's solidity, delivering an even more mature and complete product. If you have never experienced Fimbulwinter or are planning to resume the adventures in the nine realms, God of War Ragnarok for PC is still the best version available.

Succeeding where last year's edition fell short, EA Sports FC 25 debuts without loud changes, but with a substantial number of updates that touch almost all of its countless game modes. The improvements made to Career Mode and Clubs were essential, while we were slightly disappointed with Rush and the overall lack of significant changes to Ultimate Team. However, what makes the game bright — and perhaps the most crucial aspect of a football game — is the slow, balanced gameplay with astonishing tactical depth that the Canadian studio managed to deliver this year.

This is the best '2D' The Legend of Zelda in recent decades: it offers an adventure of rare charm and overflowing creativity, giving the player great freedom without ever losing sight of the intuitiveness of the mechanics, and without allowing them the ability to undermine the meticulous level design of the game. The bold hybridization between the classic formula and the open-air approach could shape the future of the series.

Enotria: The Last Song deserves full marks, we are absolutely certain of this. But it is a title full of imperfections: this too is undeniable. Imperfections that denote a certain inexperience of the development team who chose to risk too much, to launch themselves into one of the most complex genres of the current videogame market, where there are some practically unattainable progenitors and a small handful of other exponents who, with difficulty, they did it. Unfortunately, Enotria is very far from all of these and although it offers an experience that, we are sure, will give some satisfaction to those who need to play at least one soulslike a month, it does not allow us to overlook all the problems associated with its game mechanics and the experience it offers. Our hope is that the team takes advantage of the criticism and launches headlong into a sequel capable of drastically improving every single aspect of the game while maintaining a certainly very fascinating imagery.

Ara tries to reinvent the 4X wheel with a really exciting gameplay system. However, it lacks dynamism, a more interesting diplomatic and trade system and a bit of nastiness that makes us feel the political and social weight of our choices. If they raise it well, it can become an unforgettable game.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a remake that is very faithful to the original, updating it with modern graphics and also bringing some improvements to the gameplay.

Bethesda hits the mark again with another mobile production after Fallout Shelter: The Elder Scrolls Castles is an excellent management game focused on the lore of the famous fantasy series, capable of keeping us busy for a long time.

Quotation forthcoming.

Frostpunk 2 is a brutal city builder with a marvelous political system.

Considering the starting subject, Funko Fusion can also be considered a clever adaptation of the brand to a form of video game, unfortunately the execution of the gameplay leaves much to be desired: the idea of different worlds is interesting, but the third-person shooter is bland, confusing, imprecise and uninteresting.

Reynatis has some interesting ideas, but never manages to fully realize any of them, wasting narrative and gameplay insights that could have led to a much more intriguing adventure. Credit goes to the soundtrack, composed by Yoko Shimomura, and to a combat system that is overall enjoyable, though never truly technical. As for the rest, there's little that's truly magical.

A game crafted by a team that has built a strong and proactive relationship with its userbase. This connection, among other things, has helped Satisfactory become the amazing game it is today. Now almost bug-free, with stunning graphics and a complete storyline, Coffee Stain’s game lives up to the early access hype and managed to go beyond all expectations.

Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is a bitter, bitter disappointment. Instead of focusing on what made this series so important, the developers decided to imitate the most famous open world driving games but without having the slightest comparable capabilities. The result is a racer that can even be enjoyable at times, with a beautiful setting and an interesting progression system, but trivial in execution and spoiled on PC by enough problems to leave you baffled.

Broken Sword - Il Segreto dei Templari: Reforged is the best way to replay the classic Revolution Adventure, waiting for the fourth chapter.

The Plucky Squire is Toy Story meets your favorite childhood book. It does so with all the love and gratitude possible for those stories that inspired us as kids to become who we are today, thanks to the courage of their heroes, their cleverness, and their ability to speak directly to our hearts. But it’s also a fantastic video game, brimming with ideas, aesthetic and gameplay inventions, that knows how to connect two worlds excellently, blending them into a single unforgettable adventure.

Unsatisfactory for those accustomed to open-world games of this decade and lacking as an (un)enriched re-release of a game nearly twenty years old, *Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster* risks ending up poorly. Fortunately, the charm of its original concept and the characterization of the game environment, along with some still-valid ideas, lift it from a fate of potential mediocrity. It will be hard to become as passionate about it as some did almost twenty years ago, and newcomers to Willamette won't find enough content designed for them. But all in all, a stroll through Al Fresca Plaza and a chat with the guy at the supermarket still work today... just much less than before.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Star Trucker is as valuable as any video game that offers something unique and unparalleled. It’s distinctive, bold, well-crafted, and designed with a specific audience in mind. However, if your sole interest is in driving, you might want to consider other options.

NBA 2K25 delivers a top-tier basketball experience with noticeable improvements and quality-of-life updates, though it's slightly hampered by the lack of a scenario mode, gameplay issues, pervasive microtransactions, and the requirement to stay online.

Harry Potter Quidditch Champions is a decent simulator of the most famous sport in the Wizarding World. It lacks content and modes capable of providing long-term entertainment, but the various Quidditch roles are well represented, and the game doesn't fall short from a graphical perspective. However, the specific nature of the sport makes it a video game designed for and recommended only to true fans.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a huge deal for fighting games lover with some of the most beloved 2D fighters in history and The Punisher beat'em up for good measure. With some excellent quality of life additions, rollback netcode and tons of options to customize each game, the compilation is a must buy for couch play and online too.

Yars Rising is a decent metroidvania. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Casting of Frank Stone isn't a bad video game, it's just another lazy product that follows a path that Supermassive Games has charted, and never abandoned, over the past decade. Not even the screenplay helps him much, with characters that don't shine and situations that don't make the gamer uncomfortable, incapable of making him feel tension. It's a horror that isn't scary, that doesn't manage to overcome the boundaries of a self-imposed teen slasher, but that lives in a fascinating narrative universe, where there was room for maneuver to write something more aware and lively.

Quotation forthcoming.

Squirrel with a Gun is a flawed game with some fun jokes and an abysmal gameplay.

Gundam Breaker is a huge step up for a franchise which was apparently doomed to oblivion: still an arcade game at heart with a repetitive stage selection and a paper thin anime plot, it features a crazy amount of customization options for a solid combat system which will make fans of Gunpla happy.

Astro Bot by Team Asobi is a hymn to video games and to the very act of playing: the PlayStation 5 robot is at the center of the first truly new generation platformer, a work created with obsessive care that pays homage to the entire story of the genre. Relying on impeccable level design and simply perfect technical execution, it unrolls a carpet of ideas, mechanics and wonderful moments that never cease to amaze and shock, from the first start up to the end credits. The consecration of Nicolas Doucet's team, which still has a slight margin for improvement, effectively leads to the birth of a new star on the PlayStation front, finally giving fans a title that is nothing short of unmissable.

The War Within is a decent start to the all-new Worldsoul Saga with an engaging story, some good character development and a very promising villain. Content wise it's more of the same, quality of life improvement notwithstanding: same gameplay loop, same quest design, same issues with balancing and a few new features, such as Delves and Hero Talents, that doesn't really add much to WoW as we know it.

Spectre Divide is the most newcomer friendly tactical shooter available, with great mechanics, varied gameplay and a banger of a gimmick having two bodies available.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is the sequel we have been waiting for so long, nothing more and nothing less. An evolution of the first chapter in every respect, capable of engaging us in furious battles against endless hordes of enemies, embracing the mechanics of an improved and spectacular combat system.

The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is predictably an excellent work, enhanced by the fact that it finally brings us an official translation of the second chapter of Miles Edgeworth's adventures. It's just a shame that this translation is not (equally predictably unfortunately) in Italian, and that the structural shortcomings of the first chapter have remained almost unchanged, despite some changes to the quality of life toning them down. However, these are two games that are still very enjoyable and extremely brilliant today, which deserve to be part of the Ace Attorney series and to be played.

Akimbot is a Ratchet & Clank indie that is cheap and worth its price, but only if you are really big fans of the genre and can't wait to get back to shooting and jumping around while waiting for a new chapter to come from Insomniac Games. Of course, don't hold out hope for the quality of the source material and especially don't have high hopes for the story and characters. There are various flaws and no matter how much heart Evil Raptor put into the project we struggle to suggest Akimbot to everyone.

Quotation forthcoming.

Emio - The Smiling Man is the ideal episode to introduce a new Nintendo detective game to modern audiences, enriched by the fact that this saga had never been published outside Japan. Sakamoto reconfirms himself as an excellent writer of captivating, well-connected graphic novels, designed to flow fluidly through the player's thoughts and ideas, continually adding and removing new doubts, possibilities and seasoning a salad full of ingredients to perfection.

F1 Manager 2024 offers significant managerial improvements and better pricing, but is marred by numerous bugs.

Age of Mythology Retold is by no means a simple remastered version: sure, it is in excellent shape thanks to the modern version of the Bang Engine, the remake of the animations, as well as the implementation of the orchestral soundtrack, but it is in the gameplay layer that they hide the juiciest news. If every single element of the work, from the divinities, through the civilizations to the individual units, has been evolved and modified according to balance and dynamism, there are also several absolute innovations in the area of quality of life. Of course, you still encounter some problems in the pathing and such invasive work can generate some unexpected bugs, but it is without a shadow of a doubt the best possible way to enjoy one of the most fun RTSs ever made.

Visions of Mana is a successful return to the Seiken Densetsu form with a vibrant world to explore, an engaging tale and some neat gameplay antics. Every aspect of the game is somewhat constrained by its limited budget but we are overall happy the beloved series might have found its new footing.

Monster Jam Showdown is a title with an arcade feel, but also an extremely technical one, designed above all for fans.

Star Wars Outlaws is an excellent Star Wars game. A good adventure, with a good story and good characters, all perfectly placed within a framework that is absolutely faithful and respectful of this intellectual property. It clearly does not have the depth of a Fallen Order in terms of combat nor the facets of the best RPGs set in this fictional universe, but when it comes to gameplay and contents it is certainly rich and interesting, very solid though far from original.

Quotation forthcoming.